In June, two huge helium tanks were installed at Point 1 of the Large High-Luminosity Collider. High-Luminosity Large Collider (HL-LHC). Subsequently, in July, two additional tanks were added at Point 5 as optimal storage for the project.
A successful helium tank installation
These tanks are important for storing helium, which will be used in the coolers responsible for cooling the new HL-LHC focusing magnets, located on both sides of the ATLAS and CMS experiments, and maintaining them at the optimal temperature.
Among the technical details, each of these gigantic tanks weighs more than 62 tons, is 28 meters long and has a diameter of 3.5 meters. In addition, their capacity can store up to 250 cubic meters of gaseous helium, at a pressure of 20 bars and room temperature, which is equivalent to an approximate weight of 800 kg. The tanks were manufactured in Portugal and transported to the CERN center in a complex operation that lasted more than eight days.
The arrival of new refrigerators is expected next year. According to Antonio Suraci, from the Cryogenics group,“We have a year of work ahead of us to install all the infrastructure and connect the tanks to the helium distribution system“. This project involves the installation of the tanks and the adaptation of the cryogenic system to ensure optimal and efficient operation.
The installation of large helium tanks at CERN. Source: HL – LHC Project
Overall, about 130 tons of helium are needed to cool the LHC superconducting magnets and associated experiments. With the entry into operation of the HL-LHC, a similar helium consumption is expected, albeit with a modified cryogenic system to power the new equipment efficiently on both sides of the ATLAS and CMS experiments.
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Source and photo: CERN
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